Deadly Dunnett Rescues Hertford with Double

Hertford claw back to beat Cheshunt thanks to 2 goals from Ian Dunnett

It's never going to go exactly to plan when you turn up to a game with 10 players but that's exactly the situation Hertford 1XI had to deal with when they arrived for their game last night. They made up the numbers thanks to George Lynn and Richard Rawlinson who stayed, along with others, after their game beforehand.

Hertford took sometime to find their feet on what was a very damp night, with the pitch keeping the pace of the game high and the bobble of the ball causing more issues than normal. It wasn't long before the first goal went in, with Elliot Barling spending too long on the ball in his own 25 he misplaced a pass back to centre back Jamie O'Sullivan which game the Cheshunt Centre Forward time to take a strike at Thomas Smith in goal. Despite his initial save, it was sweeped in from the top of the D to make it 1-0. Hertford looked shaken after the first goal and soon conceded a second when another piece of sloppy play lead to Jonny Goodson hacking at the Cheshunt centre forward and conceding a Short Corner, which Cheshunt cleanly dispatched into the bottom right corner. The third goal of the half again went to Cheshunt and left Hertford with a lot of work to do moving into the half time break.

With a solid team talk from Ian Dunnett, Hertford set out in a refreshed manner and ready to take on the task of scoring at least 3 goals with no reply. The half began well and Hertford looked at lot more settled on the ball and began to find those crucial passes to try and break Cheshunt down. The new energy got to the team and the first goal of the comeback came from Luke Rawlinson. After some nice link up play in the middle of the park from Ian Dunnett and Russell Adlam the ball was fired in for a deflection at the back post. With some renewed belied, Hertford piled on the pressure and got a second when Russell Adlam calmly finished into the bottom corner to make it 3-2.

The 2 final goals came later on in the second half and despite Cheshunt now putting in a decent defensive display, Hertford felt they could grab at least 1 more. Come to the stage Ian Dunnett...
Not only did his half time team talk rejuvenate the team, it also turned him into what looked like a professional dancer with a Hockey stick. He grabbed the third after breaking down the middle of the pitch and moving onto his reverse and slotting past the keeper, a complete 8/10 from the judges. But he saved the best till last, starting a run from the right handside, he took on not 1, not 2, but 5 players, making his way into the D with turns, little lifts and pure dominance on the ball. As he reached the top of the D he took on the final man with a little lift of the ball and swept it into the bottom right corner, 10/10.

Hertford 1XI next game sees them take on Whippersnappers on the 30th May.

Man of the Match: Ian Dunnett